Systems and methods for optimizing allocation of bandwidth for pre-caching media content

Abstract

Systems and methods for optimizing network use for downloading media assets using activity signals for a household or organization. A receiver may monitor an organization for signals indicating activities that are associated with a reduction in use of the network. When such signals are received, a media guidance application may automatically download a media asset during a period of reduced network use.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for optimizing allocation of network bandwidth for pre-caching a media asset, the method comprising:
 receiving, from an interactive media guidance application, an indication of interest in a media asset at a future time; 
 predicting, with control circuitry, a capacity of a network for receiving the media asset at the future time based on historical network traffic level data for the network; 
 calculating, with the control circuitry, a bandwidth volume for downloading the media asset; 
 determining, with the control circuitry, that the calculated bandwidth volume exceeds the predicted network capacity; 
 monitoring, with a receiver, an organization associated with the network; 
 detecting, with the receiver, a signal indicating an activity of a member of the organization; 
 determining, with the control circuitry and based upon the historical network traffic level data for the network, that the activity is associated with a reduction in use of the network; 
 predicting, with the control circuitry, based on historic activity data, a predicted time period for the activity; 
 determining, with the control circuitry, network availability in the predicted time period, based in part on the historical network traffic level data for the network; and 
 automatically, downloading to memory, the media asset prior to the future time and during the predicted time period for the activity. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving from the interactive media guidance application, an indication of interest in a media asset at a future time comprises a user request for the media asset. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving from the interactive media guidance application, an indication of interest in a media asset at a future time comprises identifying the media asset based on a user's history. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein predicting with the control circuitry, a capacity of a network for receiving the media asset at the future time based on historical use data for the network comprises:
 analyzing with the control circuitry, the historical network traffic level data for the network; and 
 calculating with the control circuitry, an average capacity for the network at a prior time increment associated with the future time. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein monitoring with the receiver, an organization associated with the network comprises one of the group of: receiving an audio signal from an audio receiver located within audio range of the member of the organization, and receiving a digital signal from a digital receiver associated with a member of the organization. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the historic activity data comprises data indicating activity signal data and associated time data. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining with the control circuitry, and based upon the historical network traffic level data, that the bandwidth volume exceeds the network availability in the predicted time period; 
 receiving from the interactive media guidance application, a second indication of interest in a second media asset associated with the future time; 
 determining with the control circuitry, a second bandwidth volume for downloading the second media asset; 
 automatically downloading to the memory, the second media asset; and 
 scheduling the automatic download of the media asset at the future time. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining with the control circuitry, that the bandwidth volume is substantially near the network availability; and 
 pre-caching to the memory, a portion of the media asset in advance of the future time. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 recording in the memory, the audio signal or the digital signal in association with a time data; 
 correlating with the control circuitry, the historical network traffic level data with the time data; and 
 identifying with the control circuitry, a pattern of network availability based on the audio signal or digital signal and the correlated network traffic level data. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 scheduling with the control circuitry, the automatic downloading to the memory, of the media asset based on the pattern of network availability; and 
 beginning the automatic download upon receipt of the audio signal or digital signal. 
 
     
     
       11. A system for optimizing allocation of network bandwidth for pre-caching a media asset, the system comprising:
 input/output (I/O) interface circuitry; and control circuitry configured to: 
 receive from an interactive media guidance application, an indication of interest in a media asset at a future time; 
 predict a capacity of a network for receiving the media asset at the future time based on historical network traffic level data for the network; 
 calculate a bandwidth volume for downloading the media asset; 
 determine that the calculated bandwidth volume exceeds the predicted network capacity; 
 monitor with a receiver, an organization associated with the network; 
 detect with the receiver, a signal indicating an activity of a member of the organization; 
 determine, based upon the historical network traffic level data for the network, that the activity is associated with a reduction in use of the network; 
 predict based on historic activity data, a predicted time period for the activity; 
 determine network availability in the predicted time period, based in part on the historical network traffic level data for the network; and 
 automatically, download to memory, the media asset prior to the future time and during the predicted time period for the activity. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein control circuitry configured to receive from the interactive media guidance application, an indication of interest in a media asset at a future time comprises a user request for the media asset. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein control circuitry configured to receive from the interactive media guidance application, an indication of interest in a media asset at a future time comprises identifying the media asset based on a user's history. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11 , wherein control circuitry predicts a capacity of a network for receiving the media asset at the future time based on historical use data for the network by:
 analyzing the historical network traffic level data for the network; and 
 calculating an average capacity for the network at a prior time increment associated with the future time. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 11 , wherein control circuitry configured to monitor with the receiver, an organization associated with the network comprises one of the group of: receiving an audio signal from an audio receiver located within audio range of the member of the organization, and receiving a digital signal from a digital receiver associated with a member of the organization. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the historic activity data comprises data indicating activity signal data and associated time data. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 determine, based upon the historical network traffic level data, that the bandwidth volume exceeds the network availability in the predicted time period; 
 receive from the interactive media guidance application, a second indication of interest in a second media asset associated with the future time; 
 determine a second bandwidth volume for downloading the second media asset; 
 automatically download to the memory, the second media asset; and 
 schedule the automatic download of the media asset at the future time. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 determine that the bandwidth volume is substantially near the network availability; and 
 pre-cache to the memory, a portion of the media asset in advance of the future time. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 record in the memory, the audio signal or the digital signal in association with a time data; 
 correlate the historical network traffic level data with the time data; and 
 identify a pattern of network availability based on the audio signal or digital signal and the correlated network traffic level data. 
 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 schedule the automatic downloading to the memory, of the media asset based on the pattern of network availability; and 
 begin the automatic download upon receipt of the audio signal or digital signal.